Deus Ex Machina Archive 51 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Arcana http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat DeM posts belong to their respective authors, the characters belong to their respective authors, etc etc etc. Comprehensive, from 2000-10-11 to 2000-12-24. Game Year is assumed V-498 unless otherwise stated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Alex Groden" Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 00:07:11 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Downtime Downtime - August 21, V-498 "So, dad," Alex said between mouthfuls, "you said Messenger was in the family for how long?" "Oh, I dunno, I know we've had him for as long as I can remember," Alex's father said, "my grandparents had him, and they said that their grandparents had him. He's been worked on quite a lot since he was originally built, but he has never really needed major repairs, so the whole build and the basic working of him is still there. I know that his ether amp and his generator have never needed repairing, mainly because they never really have been used all that much, and everyone has just taken such good care of him. Sure, they had tune ups, but they were just standard checkups." "Wow, so it would be a safe bet that Messenger could be anywhere from a hundred to five hundred years old?" Alex asked. "Uh, five hundred?" Alex's dad chuckled, "son, a hundred is stretching it for gears. Remember what you've learned, gears a very finicky things!" "Yeah, but I figured that Messenger was fairly old," Alex said, "I was just looking at him and some things on him that seem pretty old." "Old?" Mr. La'Grant laughed, "old yes, five hundred years old, probably not. Just what are you getting at, Alex?" "Nothing but idle thoughts," Alex sighed. He waited a little while until he asked another question. "Dad?" Alex saw his father look up, smiling. "Yes?" "I was wondering, what do you know about our family history?" Alex asked, "do you know where the La'Grant family name came from?" "Why are yo suddenly so interested in history Alex?" Mr. La'Grant cocked his head, "I've never heard you talk about it this much, what's on your mind, son?" "I was just wondering if we are related to this person that I met," Alex said. His ambiguity made Cali giggle. "So she's in on this too?" Mr. La'Grant laughed, "well, I haven't really done any studies on our family history, Alex, if you want some information on that I'm afraid I really am not the place to turn to. But I do know where you might find more on our family." "Really?" Alex said, hanging on the word. "Yeah, it's a special place, kinda far away," Mr. La'Grant said, a twinkle in his eyes, "I'll tell you about it later, Alex." "Ok," Alex said, thinking after dinner. "Mr. La'Grant?" Cali asked. "Yes, Mrs. Hail?" Alex's father looked up and Alex's mother giggled a bit. "Oh, you don't have to..." Cali said trailing off, "call me Cali, I insist, sir." "Ok, Cali, what can I do for you?" Mr. La'Grant asked. "Well, I was wondering," Cali touched her pendant, "what's the history behind these pendants?" "Ah, but your father can tell you more than I," Alex's father said, "he is, after all, a Nisan Priest." "Oh, yeah, I forgot," Alex laughed, "your dad knows mine!" "Hey!" Cali laughed and they slapped hands. "Yes," Mr. La'Grant said, "I'm pretty sure you both know the meaning of the two angles in there, but these pendants are a matching pair. That's pretty amazing, since they weren't made in mass production. Actually I found Alex's on an early expedition I went on near Nimrod. I think the pendants, if I recall, were given as special gifts between two lovers. They loved each other very much and gave the pendants to show how hey couldn't live without each other. Then... I think, according to the legend that my instructor told me, the two were killed by some tragedy in the Diablos wars." "That's kinda romantic," Cali said softly, thinking. "Romantic?" Alex asked, "dad, is that all you know? That's not even a good story yet. Man, I'm gonna have to sit down and do some research..." "Sorry son," Alex's dad shrugged. "No problem," Alex smiled, then lowered his head in thought... "Hey, Dad?" Alex asked. "Oh for crying out loud would you ask your mother something?" Mr. La'Grant rolled his eyes, "she's a smart woman, I'm sure she'd be happy to answer your questions." "Heh, right," Alex said, "mom?" "Ohh," Alex's mom had to stop laughing, "yes Alex?" "I was just wondering," Alex said, "when's dessert?" August 22 - 23, V-498 The next two days were spent in general catching up and in the first afternoon everyone went out and took Cali on a tour of Belvidek. Alex stuck by her side the whole time, walking through the lanes and paths in the city, pointing out all the important landmarks and relating childhood experiences. Alex's parents walked along behind them, talking about how they used to do such things, and how nice it was that a girl finally decided to take control of Alex. When Alex went to sleep on the twenty third, he was thinking about his workout session with his practice wooden sword, and he thought about how good it was not have to do such heavy labor rebuilding towns and stuff, and he thought of how the orange sherbert he had for dessert tasted and the feeling he got from Cali being right there. It finally seemed that Cali had gotten her wish, that everything had settled down. Alex's ancestor, La'Grant, had not bothered him for a long time, and no other major obstacle seemed to stand. Now it was time to see what the future held... [Summary: Ales asks his father about Messenger and his family tree, but his father is unable to help him. Cali learns a little more about the pendants, and Alex reflects on how everything has slowed down. Well, at least for the time being... (gee, if that's not blatent, I don't know what is ^_^.)] Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [DeM] To Make Her Fly... Revisited [Rivian, Marien] Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 20:54:12 EDT From: Valgarv@aol.com To: DeM_story@egroups.com OOG: --;;;;; ::hands out guns to fellow DeMers:: Yes, you may execute me now. You may also thank Jo-chan for getting me off my lazy, no-good arse, and doing something! o.O* I can feel Rivian changing. Counterpoint to Jo-chan's post. Prelude to Big Stuff. Hopefully More Big Stuff as well. ....... ________ Yggdrasil August 8, V-498 Poddering the day away ^_~ Inside and out of the Ygg It sure was freakin? hot. Rivian frowned, wiping his brow. Coolant systems had failed--or something like that, he wasn?t really paying attention--and it felt like midday in the desert in here. It was NOT amusing, and certainly NOT fun. And the constant noise of the hangar, the banging, and the banging, and the damn banging.... "It's TOO DAMN HOT IN HERE!" he shrieked suddenly. ... there. He felt *much* better now. Sometimes it?s good to vent... of course, when he wanted to vent, that stupid bear was never around, oh no... it was plotting against him, he was sure; to make him suddenly explode into chunks of Rivian when he got too frustrated. Oh yes, he was onto that bear.... he was onto him. Ah, but screaming didn?t help the heat any. "I'M SUFFOCATING DOWN HERE, DAMNIT! Not to mention the rest of the crew.. The damn bear, for all I care, can.. But I'm sure everyone else'd prefer not to!" He stomped his foot a few times for good measure, just to make sure everyone pretty much got his point; he was Not Happy. Of course, as usual, the crew ignored their eccentric captain. Muttering to himself, he swung off the catwalk. It was probably cooler outside than in, what with all that trapped air and greenhut effect or whatever it was. His eyes automatically travelled to where Marien was leaning against the metal support of the lift, making his way to the ground below. He looked as hot as Rivian felt. The captain gazed at the broken Gear that Marien cherished so highly as he approached his silver-haired companion. Rivian had been watching the repair quite sometime, unable to shake the feeling that he was responsible; but then, he was always responsible. Useless, careless, reckless... ++"Punk. If you'd kept your promise..." Marien had huffed, focusing on Ymir's wrecked arm. ++ Rivian rolled his shoulders uncomfortably at the annoying guilt. ?It's looking better, Maryanne.." he said, trying to sound sincere--and trying to stare too long at the scar that marred the entire right side of the man?s face. Rivian had seen it before, but still.. it was grotesque. He wondered where the man had gotten it. ?You're not gonna help Demitrius with the cooling system?" Marien?s face was a bit surprised. The pirate tried to keep the annoyance from his own face---did the ol? geezer think he was really that heartless?? ?Hell, no. I'm the captain!" He poked himself in the chest with a thumb. "I'm way above petty maintenance stuff." Rocking back on his heels, he suddenly felt foolish for such words... here was Marien, repairing his *own* Gear!! Even Rivian didn?t know how to do that. "Besides. Last time I tried to help, Dem threw me out,? he added, smiling sheepishly. A pause, distraction from his own incompetence. "So. What's the deal with those chicks you played white knight for?" It was nonchalant, but even poker-face Rivian couldn?t keep the curiousity from his eyes. The old geezer shrugged, nabbing his shabby grey cloak from where it was draped on Ymir?s foot. He seemed to be considering his options while wiping his face with his cloth---and the sneaky feeling that Marien knew more than he was telling struck Rivian once more. ?I don?t know.....? Trailing off. Rivian narrowed his eyes slightly with a brief cold, calculating look. ?Kandi?s been keeping an eye on them. They?re my responsibility though.. I brought them onboard..? [Damn straight you brought them onboard...] Rivian started walking toward the stairs, Marien falling instep beside him. "That's quite a piece of hardware." He made an offhand gesture, as if he saw this sort of Gear every day. [Maybe in fairy tales or epic songs... ] "I don't trust her, you know." [Just because you seem to, I don?t. Not this time, Mari.] "You don't trust anyone." Marien snapped. Rivian stiffened slightly, hurt by Marien?s tone. [I trust *you*.... no matter how stupid that decision will ultimately turn out; but I feel like I know... ] He shook his head to clear his thoughts. ?It?s true.? He tried to make it sound like it wasn?t a big deal, playing with the feather hanging from the braid framing the side of his face. Awkward. It was a lot more hot inside the Ygg than it was in the geardock. ?I?m gonna have Drake bring us topside until Dem gets this thing fixed.? Marien waved him off, and Riv hurried past him, to the elevator that would bring him to the control deck. And tried not to think too much. Slyder greeted him with an impudent grin as the doors hissed open to reveal the control room. The heat practically ran off in waves, with all the computers, systems, and people. ?Yo, cap?n! Come to join us in the sauna?? Rivian scowled at him, unable to maintain his snappy facade in this sort of condition. He snatched up the yellow bear where it perched merrily on the steering post and threw it at the offending crewmate. Ignoring Slyder?s protests, he turned to Drake. The serious, stiff-backed firstmate seemed the only one not outwardly affected by the broken coolant systems, even going so far as to *continue* wearing his thick, rigid uniform. ?Get us topside, Drake. Might as well fry in the sun than broil to death.? ?Yes, sir.? ______________________ Rivian slung his arms over the railing, squinting in the late afternoon sun, sweating in the desert heat. But it was better than inside; few others of the crew joined him topside, obviously agreeing. The dry winds slung carelessly over the endless dunes, flinging away sand to form new sculptures. He loved the desert, no matter what he said. It was continuously shifting and changing, alive. A foreign landscape that could kill the inexperienced. Yet it had a fantastic beauty, the array of colors at sunset like a splash of oils against canvas, light sparkling across sand. He was born out among these dunes, among a culture that worshipped the stars, the wind, and the earth, a world few ever cared to experience. But still..... he wanted something different, something *new*. Marien reawakened that longing within him. The world was large---Aveh was only a tiny corner. What was beyond?? He shook his head. Heavy footsteps approached. He turned his head, nodding at Demetrius as the engineer joined him overlooking the barren landscape. ?Fixed the coolants yet?? Rivian felt curiously subdued, the usual jaunty edge to his voice gone. Dem grunted--no. ?Few more hours.? Rivian groaned--the Yggdrasil seemed to be fast falling apart these days. He was pretty sure the bear was behind it all. In fact, several months ago ago, engine #3 had decided to give out suddenly; finding parts for *that* repair was quite a chore-- ?Got another project I?m working on.? Rivian was curious--Demetrius never baited him like that. ?What now? Some super-hyper engine?? An echo of a smile that flitted across the engineer?s thin lips. ?Almost.? Rivian waited, tapping his foot impatiently. Sometimes Dem?s reticence was... *extremely* trying. He hated having to feed questions. ?So?? ?Remember that Gebler raid?? The captain bristled, recounting his humiliating capture. ?... yeah...?? ?I said I can make the Ygg fly.? ?... okay....? ?I can.? Rivian stared for a moment, trying to understand the Dem-speak. ?You mean,? he began slowly, puzzling, ?that you have everything possible under your belt to set this baby into the air?? A quick nod. Four Winds forbid, the man was almost *smiling*.... The captain resisted the urge to scream like a girl. ?How soon!?? he squeaked. ?You'll see.? "BWA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!! LIFE IS GOOD!" Rivian crowed, throwing a fist into the air. So what, Marien was acting weird and he had two strange--but cute!--chicks on board, and Bledavik had gotten near wiped out by some wicked looking THING..... His little baby would soon have wings!!! Rivian threw his arms around the surly engineer, kissing him soundly on both cheeks. "I love ya, man!" Demetrius firmly, but politely, shoved his captain off of him, slightly pink about the face. "Don't do that again." "Yes sir!" Rivian saluted, before collapsing into crazed giggles. Dem shot the younger boy a mixed look of disgust and amusement, before heading back toward the lower deck. "Gonna finish up the coolants. Show ya tomorrow." "Aye aye!!!!" ++++ Summary: Riv's side of a conversation. Dangling plotline about to be mended. Dem is about to prove his genius once again.. ____ Valhalla: Art, Original, Digimon, Shigeru x Satoshi, and more!! http://valhalla.morethanart.org "DAMN cheap croissants!" ~Ryan Stiles, on the afterlife, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> Restaurants, Movies, Weather, Traffic & More! Call 1-800-555-TELL. For more info visit: http://click.egroups.com/1/9533/3/_/529963/_/971312066/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Super Saiyan Seth " Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 03:15:04 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Angel Hair Angel Hair ------------------ August 24th, V-498 Bledavik, Midnight ------------------ Zak landed the gear near the capitol, but not close enough to disturb the sleeping town. When the landing was complete, Seth showed Zak how to activate the security systems on the gear so as to keep stupid people from opening the gear. Zak did so, and the two headed towards town. Seth led the barbarian to Beth and Ruth's home, and rather than barging in, Seth asked Zak in (very) broken Ignasian if he had any money. Zak showed Seth his food, some fur, and some trinkets he had found in the forest. Seth sighed and thought a bit on how they could get some money for the inn. After some quick thinking, Seth decided to just join with the old people near the well that Beth had shown him on their tour. Zak saw no reason why not, and followed his companion to the dark area. The three 'residents' looked up at the two strangers, but when Seth and Zak each took a spot for themselves on the ground, the old men smiled and went back to sleep. Seth used some well water one of the old men offered him to wash himself and have a drink (not in that order). When he was finished, he set himself down for the night, with Zak nearby sleeping in his usual fashion. (Somewhere very far away, in the arctic wastelands...) /Zohar system error 2901923; minor damage from environment/ /Environment damage identified...ice block, 3000 kilogram/ /Current damage to system hardware .01%/ /Initializing system repair. Energy output increase 1%.../ (Back in Bledavik) Nobody was awake at the time, but even if they were they would have attributed it to the lighting from the streetlamps and the moon. The sleeping Seth was oblivious as well, as was his sharp-sensed companion. A few strands of hair rippled, briefly turning a golden yellow, and glowing with a brief light. Slowly, other strands began to glow, following suit and changing to a glowing golden hue. (The arctic again) /System repairs completed. Resuming normal energy levels./ (Bledavik again) As one of the old men awoke from the strange glow, he looked around to find no glowing anywhere, except the street lamps around the corner. SUMMARY: Seth and Zak reach Bledavik very early in the morning, and decide to sleep in the alleyways rather than disturb Beth and Ruth at such a late hour. During his sleep, Seth experiences an odd event, without even knowing it. Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Colin Sutton" Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 23:48:29 -0000 Subject: [DeM] "The Art of Delinquency" -Part One- (Alys, Jason, Cassandra, Brynhild) (OOG: this has gotta be my worst post ever. Ack, Arcana I really hacked the characters up.....i think i even hacked -my- characters up in this one as well......wait can you actually hack your own character? Anyway I really didn't like this, but Enjoy! ^_^=BF) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The Art of Delinquency Part 1" (Alys, Jason, Cassandra, Brynhild) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 20, V-498 Somewhere in Bledavik, Aveh 9:00pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "...as I said. I'd walk off the end of the world to help her." Alys stated to the three sitting in front of the computer. Cassandra didn't know what to make of this girl. This Alyson Treymond. However, something told her that she could be trusted, but why didn't Elly ever mention her if they were such good friends? "How do we know you can be trusted?" Jason inquired. Alys sighed, using that time to think of a reason but she saw no better way than to tell the truth. "I said I'm a close friend of Elly's and I understand you have your doubts about me. I must be honest with you though. I'm not just helping Elly because she's a friend. I'm also helping you all get her out because I put her in there." "What do you mean?" Cassandra stepped up to the girl. Alyson took a deep breath, "I was the one piloting Valkyrie during the massacre on the marketplace. I also know 'Al', the one piloting that arachnid gear. He was the one in charge of the operation." "WHAT?!" Brynhild hopped out of her chair, almost ready to pummel the girl. Cassandra quickly restrained Brynhild, eying the stranger. "You know we could just turn you in and get Elly out that way." "But, you won't know who the enemy is. All this has been constructed by Gebler. I think it's to get a foothold on Ignas again." Alys explained moving closer to them. "But Gebler already has Nortune!" Jason stated. "I know. I don't know why, but whatever scheme's they have, I'm going to stop them. But, I want Elly out of harms way. You all can't penetrate that lead barrier can you? I overheard sorry." Alyson explained as she moved over and bent over to look at the overview scale of the prison. "As you can see, the prison is heavily fortified especially in the area we think Elly is in." Jason explained to Alys pointing to the various turrets and armaments. "They've also got gears, too. My comrades did some research on this prison while I was out looking for you all. Hmm..." Alyson said as she her fingers went to work at the keyboard. "Comrades?" Cassandra said with a questioning look. "Yeah, Victoria and Irina. They're under my command until this operation is over. We surveyed the prison as well and I was gonna use them as a distraction while I snuck in and grabbed Elly." "Assuming you're plan had worked, where would you have taken her?" Jason said while observing the girl's work. Alys paused for a moment, "Well, I was thinking of Nisan. It's the only neutral place I know that would take us in, until I could figure out Gebler's next move." The computer had displayed the overview once again, then Alys turned to look at them. "Can we all work together? To free Elly? If I betray you, fire upon me at will." Jason, Cassandra, and Brynhild huddled for a brief minute exchanging their thoughts. "Can we trust her?" Cass looked to her friends. Jason then added his opinion. "Well, she does seem intent on rescuing Elly with or without us. Besides, Bellerophon just ditched out on us. We could use the extra manpower. Plus, she's got two other companions with gears. That makes six of us which is two times better than what we were gonna go with." "She seems deeply concerned for Elly. If she is Elly's friend, we can't refuse her. Elly'd never forgive us." Cass sighed, "Alright, I believe she's since too...I guess. Alright then, she's in." The three then turned to Alyson, who was still working at the computer awaiting their decision. Her fingers came to halt awaiting her "sentence". "Alright, it seems that without each other none of us stand a good chance of getting Elly out, so we might as well work together until we escape Bledavik. Then we'll figure out if you're still worth trusting." Alys nodded, "Alright, but even after we're a good distance away from Bledavik we'll still have to figure out a way so that we can get to Nisan as quickly as possible. There's rumor that desert bandits exist." "Alright then," Brynhild chirped. "We're all working together to bust Elly out. Now, about you're two comrades. I think it'd be best if we met them." Alys and the others nodded, and after shutting the computer down quickly exited the computer labs over to the hotel Victoria was staying in. (Summary: Alys confronts Athena's strike team and tells them the truth of the massacre. Feeling a bit uneasy, they convened(sp?) over it and seeing the need for help, they accepted Ayson's offer of help.) Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Alpha X-1 " Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 01:12:36 -0000 Subject: [DeM] New Assignment (Tairn) New Assignment A black shape streaked across the skies of Aveh, the Kurohito. Accompanying it were three other black gears but they each had blue highlights. The three Standard Black Wolf gears held assault rifles that were clutched in both hands ready at any moment to fire. As they neared their destination a transmission was sent to the Kurohito, Tairn opened the Comm channel and a gruff voice came over. "Unidentified gears identify yourselves or you will be terminated for violating Bledavik airspace." "This is Tairn Mirak of the Black Wolves, we have been hired to assist your military and are transmitting our verification right now." He pressed a button on the command console and a small pop up screen appeared and showed symbols, letters, and numbers scrolling through. He sighed and waited, it had been a year now since he had been given the Kurohito and again had been promoted, he was now almost Renkith's most trusted soldier, if not already, but rank wouldn't show that. He ordered the other two gears to slow and they hovered right over the military base of the city knowing full well that the code would be accepted. Five minutes passed and the voice returned. "Your code is verified in our logs, please head to Area 9 where an escort will assist you." "About time." Tairn muttered, not that any of them needed a tour, they all had seen schematics of the palace before heading out on the mission, but it would be good to humor the authorities, for now. The four gears entered the designated area and immediately the gears were placed in holding brackets. (Kislev's done a good job at keeping Gebler's base intact like this, but that remains to be seen.) As the four mercenaries stepped out onto the catwalk a soldier came up and told them to follow him, as they moved down towards the lift armed guards fell in place around them. "What's the matter? You think we can't be trusted or something?" The other mercenaries chuckled, in this day and age a hired gun could easily take a contract and in actuality be hired by someone else to infiltrate the enemy base. The Dark Wolves however never violated a contract like this, though it wasn't rare to see members on opposing sides. Though it incited rumors of them favoring contracts from certain groups over others were unfound and were never proven. "It's merely a precaution till we can be sure you be trusted." The soldier never turned his head to look which brought another chuckle from all the mercenaries but Tairn, he was in charge of the mission and had to make sure there weren't any screw ups. "Look we don't have time for the tour, we just want to speak with your commanding officer now and get prepared." They walked down a few more halls after coming off the lift and found themselves in a briefing room where someone of obvious high rank was waiting. He stood as they entered and the guards stepped outside. "First of all I would like to thank you for accepting this mission." The commander came up to Tairn and offered a hand out to shake. Tairn accepted it and then the commanders voice changed, "How briefed are you on the specifics on the situation?" A snicker from the other three, "We have been briefed very well. Basically it's a standard holding mission, You took the city over from Gebler and you know that they are readying to mount an attack any day now, so your trying to get as many soldiers here as possible to defend it and hold the territory. However at the same time Gebler is building reinforcements so you need even more soldiers than normal because they outclass you in weapon strength but not numbers and if you take any forces from key locations in Kislev you'll leave the capital open to capture. That's where we come in." The commander nodded, "Yes, that's correct. But how are four men supposed to change our numbers? We asked for as many of your soldiers as possible and you can only spare four?" "Though this is a major contract we have many more things to worry about, for instance our own defense, and other contracts, however we have a squadron of gears waiting for orders to engage in the attack of Gebler forces when they arrive. This way we will be able to hopefully cut off their line of escape and get them into a scissors attack with them worrying about both sides rather than just the city." Tairn then waited for a response and merely got a look of surprise and a nod, "Do you have a map of the region so we can show our plan?" A nod and the lights dimmed as a map was displayed on a table with Bledavik easily identifiable. "So what is your plan?" The commander looked at the four mercenaries who walked over to the map. "We believe that Gebler is mounting their forces...here." He points to a location, "However attacking them now would be worthless because we don't know the exact location and the size of the forces they are gathering there." The commander nods and Tairn continues, "Now when they attack it will most likely be from either the front or back because they know a lot more about this place than you do. Having such knowledge they could easily get a small group in to infiltrate and capture the palace, Tristan could you tell them the rest please." Tristan nodded and stepped forward. "If you divide your troops along these areas and establish fortifications it would take them a lot longer to get in, also if you have troops deployed right here at the entrance to the military base near the docking bays. You could then easily re-deploy or move troops to here and effectively cut them down, assuming they don't have enough man power to surround the city and attack from all sides, but even then you would be able to hold out long enough for us to send our forces in." Tristan stepped back and took his place next to the other three. "How long will it take to prepare this?" The commander looked impress. "I suggest we start as soon as possible and keep guards posted at all times, we should be done in a day if we do it quickly enough." "Very well, begin the preparations." He saluted and the four returned it crisply leaving the room and heading back to the gear bay to prepare. (Summary: Tairn and three other Dark Wolf members arrive in Bledavik to begin preparations for Gebler's attack and also have forces awaiting to be deployed at their base.) Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: KaiouMichi@aol.com Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 01:08:53 EDT Subject: [DeM] "Avenging the Angels" (Harmony's Intro) ((Well, this is Harmony's intro, obviously. =) Please, please, tell me what you think... and read at least part of it. It's not that bad. I think. I didn't want to make it too long or it may scare everyone off. Part two will have more on her history, etc. If you have any openings for Harmony, let me know! Sorry, it's kind of long. "Avenging the Angels" (Harmony, Introduction) Do you still remember all the time that has gone by? Do you still believe that love can fall out from the sky? If from where you're standing you can see the sky above I'll be waiting for you if you still believe in love - "If You Still Believe", Legend of Dragoon __________________________ Time: August 20th - 5 p.m. Place: Ethos Headquarters Aquavy Islands Aquavy Islands. A chain of numerous tiny archipelegos, dotting the southern seas. Mud brown splatters dotted with green, on a pure wall of blue. Seemed like such an insignificant, unimportant part of the world. But appearances could be deceiving. "Blood... blood..." Someone hissed on one of the main island. No, not someone. Something. With whatever comprehension of language left in it, the Wel swayed its elongated arms in the air menacingly, letting out a chilling, panther-like shriek. "Blood! Blood!" As if responding to the call, several other abominations appear, closing in, circling, all moaning and cawing like it was the end of the world, the Beast had come to swallow up those who belonged to him. In the center of the horrid circle was a girl. A girl not older than eighteen, her face delicate and pale, like a blooming white flower just beginning to blossom. Slender, almost too waif-like for comfort. Dressed in a robe and cape of virginal white, the same silvery white that shone as flying tresses about the girl's face, she looked to be a sacrifical lamb, helplessly led into to a den of hungry, ravenous wolves. It was a scene that could even make the most stoic of warriors cry. The Wels circled around her like hyenas, swaying their arms this way and that, their mouths gaping open and dripping with saliva, their heads lolling back and forth unevenly. The leader of the pack shrieked once more, shakily point a gnarled finger at the girl. Even before its finger lowered, a Wel pounced, unable to withstand its hunger anymore. Baring its fangs, it charged right for the gossamer faerie, hands reaching out forward. Cry for the girl, cry for the inno -- BANG. The Wel paused in mid-air. A second's pause as the audacious, obscence clap of sound rang through the air, commanding the attention of all. Then, the monster dropped to the ground. It didn't move. Putrid red blood of the thickest consistency began to pool around the fallen's head, the crimson liquid shimmering in the blazing hot sun. The Wels stood, both horrified and enticed. They stared, mouth agape, at their victim. Their innocent angel. She was still standing, her face immovable as before, her lips making not one sound. But this time, her hand was raised - raised with a gun, whose barrel still smoldered from its last lethal shot, its black surface glinting just like the blood pool below, promising death. Before the Wels could even process what had just happened, the shots fired again, moving slowly in a circle. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, one right after the other, dropping the behemoths to the ground like flies. Pretty soon, only the leader was left. In one last, desperate move, unable to accept - even in its small mind - that he had been bested by a mere child, he lunged, screaming. She parted her lips, and even before the sound came out, the gun fired once more, sending another one to its second death. It was dead before its body even hit the floor, before it could hear her words. "Forgive me." Now she was left alone. Broken corpses surrounded her, red, red blood everywhere, pools of it everywhere. The ground greedibly began to soak it up, indifferent to how it got there. In the midst of it all, the girl softly made the sign of the cross across her heart, then bowed her head in reverent silence. When she looked up once more, however, nothing had changed. Her clear blue eyes were still dry, no tears surfacing from their luminescent depths. Her face did not grow pale. The folds of her dress rustled and rippled gently in the breeze. Delicately, almost gliding, she stepped over the Wels' corpses and moved on, walking through the stark land alone, a lost spirit in the sunlight. Appearances were deceiving. Eyes were blind. Back toward home. Back toward home. "Harmony!" -------- "Avenging the Angels" Part One - Dreaming Existence "Harmony! Wake up!" Harmony woke up with a sudden jolt, blinking away the heaviness of sleep furiously as she slowly lifted her head wearily from her arms, leaning back against the chair. "What time is it, matron?" "Two hours past lunchtime. You missed the call to dine again, and the late afternoon study. Did you forget your promise to the two girls?" She groaned inwardly. Oh, no. The girls! She had entirely overslept. The cute, petite ten-year-old and her six-year-old sister, one with dark brunette hair, the other with short blonde curls. She had promised to read them a passage from the religious text earlier. Focusing her eyes at her elder, Harmony stood up, her face impassive as usual. "I am sorry. I don't know why I've been so tired lately." "I know!" The nun retorted, shaking a finger at Harmony's face. "You let them overwork you. Going around on your own, nothing to protect you but a pistol - I cannot see how the bishops could allow this! A girl of seventeen running around and fighting Wels when she should be here instead, safe and sound... well, I've never! You tell them you're not going out there anymore, Harmony Triste, or I'll go cause a scene with them myself." The woman bubbled up like an angry pufferfish. Harmony smiled, both gently and wearily, curtseying at the same time and lowering her eyes to the ground in respect. "Mother, you have other people to worry about. Your love is with those who have sanctuary here. Mine is with those who have to travel among the monsters." She rose up once more, kissing the older woman's cheek affectionately as she moved for the door. "We are indiscriminate with our mercy, are we not? Should only those who are priviledged enough to stay here be the only ones under our care? Plus, Dearest Mentor, I'm never alone. I have Hestia with me." "Hestia, Hestia." The nun tutted softly, moving beside Harmony down the long hallway. "Must we always depend on machinery? "That is our age, Mother. The age of technology, magic, and mystique combined. I'm afraid we cannot live in the past any longer." She sighed. "No, of course not." They stopped beside a large wooden door, one of many in this gothic, beautiful cathedral. "I suppose you're stopping here then?" Harmony nooded, giving her another curtsey. "I need to see how the it is doing." The nun bowed, then moved away. "Come to the kitchen afterwards. We have saved some repast for you." "Thank you, Mother." Taking leave of the habit-clad woman, Harmony reached out with one pale arm, pushing the door open in front of her and descended a long flight of stairs which led to the basement. Harmony breathed in deeply, the fragrance of incense from above mingling with the metallic smell of machinery at the bottom floor. Religion and science... curious combination, indeed. The young, petite priestess shook her head softly, chasing the pensive thoughts away. It had always been a mild idiosyncracy of hers to drift off into space, often at the most inopportune times. Harmony came to a stop in front of steel-plated door, and placed her right hand on a small box-shaped monitor standing to the right. ETONE GEAR HANGAR 5 ETHOS HEADQUARTERS: AQUAVY Access Requested IDENTIFIED Personnel: I I I Harmony Triste Gear: Hestia RB-V, model 104786, hangar 7 ACCESS GRANTED The last blink of the cursor came with a sudden hiss as the door rumbled then gave way, rolling up and allowing Harmony to enter. Her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness that consumed her like a hungry lion, she made her way automatically over to her hangar, stopping as she stood in front of a giant, looming gear. Her gear. Hestia RB-V, short for Rebirth-Verita, stood silent, its bright silver blades flashing even in the dimness of the large room. Its body, a polished royal blue, was even darker in the absence of sunlight. The skirt plates which was melded against the gear's midriff also glinted, a sign that the Ethnos mechanics did a good job of repairing and restoring it to its initial glory. But of course they would. They were the best, after all. "Hestia," Harmony whispered, one hand reaching up to touch the cool metal gently. An enigmatic smile graced her lips as she gazed up at the gear, feeling more than ever like a meaningless dwarf compared to the giant robot. "So you're all right." Hestia RB-V. Her friend, her support, her other half, the only representative of her warrior self. Any ounce of fighting that was in Harmony's body was to only be found in the silent, slender goliath of steel. It had been Harmony's gear ever since she began working as a Healing Priestess for the Etones. A Reconnaissance Gear only a few months ago. It was merely to be transportation for Harmony so she should quickly commute from one island to another. However, that day... That bright afternoon... An emergency... she had to leave by herself.... go alone... "Ahhhhhh!!!" Harmony screamed, gripping the handlebars on both sides of her chair to prevent from being thrown too harshly forward. Her entire gear, Verita, jolted teremendously under the pressure, the shaking and crashing louder than thunder itself. The frightful, bug-like face of a Giant Wel stood directly in front of the gear's front glass pane, waving its antennae horridly in the air as it headbutted the gear once more, while another Wel - its mate - surrounded Verita from behind and lifted it in the air. The usually calm, levelheaded girl screamed again, unable to halt the waves of terror that shook her body as she felt herself literally hanging upside down, strapped only in place by the seat belt. Her knew what was coming. Her entire gear went up hundreds of feet in the air - A sudden weightless sensation. Then suddenly, everything fell back toward earth. Verita fell, headfirst, to the hard ground, its machinery sputtering, electric sparks flying out from its now-dysfunctional joints. The loud crash was painful to the ears, both to the Wels and the diminutive pilot of Verita. Two more followed as the Wels took their turns trampling over the gear's head before they both left, heading back into the sea. Buried under the rubble of crushed metal was Harmony, barely conscious, blood trailing down her pale face in rivets. Her blue eyes, now dim, gazed out of the broken glass and at the shore ahead of her. She was so close... she could've helped those who were waiting for her... and now it was too late for them... all due to her own weakness... Harmony shook her head, chasing the somber, morbid images from her mind. Distasteful memories - she cared not to remember them. "Anyway, I am all right now," she thought silently, her darkened luminous orbs staring up at the fixed, rebuilt robot in front of her. "And so are you, for the better. Our God forces us to face much difficulties - but his will is only revealed at the end. This is a proof of his power. Everything worked out for the best." Even as she said this, however, her brow furrowed softly into a frown, her eyes holding slight tinges of worry. Was this really for the best? Now, must she learn to kill giant monsters too? She turned her eyes from Hestia RB-V and spun on her heels, heading for the door. No. She didn't want to think on such deep matters tongiht. Everything will be sought out by God. Everything will reveal themselves. Hopefully... The metal doors closed behind her. Harmony turned the corner and headed up the stairs, her long blue dress rustling as she moved. Back toward the sunlight, the quicking setting sunlight still... But a light nonetheless. __________________ "Avenging the Angels - Part One" by Grace Summary: The introduction of Harmony Triste, priestess of Ethnos Headquarters. After a vivid dream in which she killed many wels, Harmony wakes up late and visits her gear, Hestia RB-V. Revelation of the past. ___________________________ Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Obed Caballero" Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 19:07:23 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Demon in the Night Ok, finally! The intro post for my character, Jacinth Rolias! Ok, I know it's a bit long...but I guess I'm a little long-winded. Well I hope everyone enjoys it. "DEMON IN THE NIGHT" ------------------------- August V-498 Aquvy Islands Region ------------------------- The wide, glowing blue expanse of the sea stretched out far, as far as a human eye could see, where the horizon met the sun-kissed sky. The sunset was a birth of orange and red light, that gently and warmly melted into the cool, dark hues of the quickening night that descended upon the world. The soothing roar of the ocean was all that was heard on the peaceful beach. Jacinth felt the cool breeze sweep through her long hair, which she left flowing in the wind. She delighted in the sight before her, of the glorious sun receding into its daily respite. She sat upon a high rock, one of the many dark colored rocks that dotted the coast next to her home. She carefully lifted the flute in her hand and brought it to her lips. She closed her eyes, and from the instrument emanated a sweet, flowing melody that intertwined with the crashing of the waves upon the shore. She made the flute sing a haunting, soft tune, one that she remembered from long ago and that lifted her spirits. She played for a while, reminiscing in the gentleness of the song. When she finished, the sun had dipped well below the horizon, and the encompassing night had swallowed the sky. She got up from the rock and daintily jumped down from it. Her long, dark, cerulean hair trailed behind her, gingerly tugged by the cool night breeze. She walked barefoot on the beach, walking towards a small cottage up the beach. She trudged up the slope to her home. Out of the half-opened door came a pure white cat, a long-haired feline with a gentle demeanor. It went up to Jacinth, and began mewing pleadingly, rubbing her legs with it's head. "Oh Maylis, is it time for dinner already? I'm sorry, I forgot=85" She kneeled down and picked up the cat, cradling it in her arms and caressing its fluffy head. It started purring contentedly. She entered the cottage, which was unlit. She lowered the cat and it jumped from her arms. She turned on a lantern which instantly filled the room with light. She went to a cupboard in the kitchen, the first room one would enter when coming into the cottage. She took a bowl and a package of dried cat food and served the cat. Maylis hurriedly ran to her as she set the bowl down, then hungrily began consuming the food. Jacinth pulled out a chair from the table in the middle of the room and sat in it. She leaned on her arm and watched the cat eat. "Well, it looks like it's just the two of us again, Maylis." The cat continued eating. Jacinth looked away and sighed. She felt lonely. She waited all day for him to return, but he didn't. He said he would return today. She missed him terribly. She couldn't bear another night without him. She folded her arms on the table and laid her head down. She tried not to think about him, but she felt miserable without him there. She knew that it wouldn't help to continue sulking, and neither would the household chores get done, but she felt so drained of her energy that she couldn't bring herself to do them. All she wanted was the warm feeling of his loving embrace. She closed her eyes and imagined him being there. She saw his face, that gentle, warm face, his lovely green eyes, his bushy brown mustache. She smiled when she remembered every time they kissed and it tickled her lips. She missed it. She missed every part of him that wasn't there. She especially missed his deep, commanding voice, which sounded, at times, so serious, yet it was also so full of love. It was a voice that was always so sure and convincing that she could always find security in it, no matter what could ever happen. She could even hear his voice calling her name, "Jacinth, Jacinth=85" She felt the light touch of a person's palm on her back. She looked up. There, before her, a dream she had thought, was he, her beloved. She opened her mouth to say something, but words had escaped her. All she could do was rise from the table and embrace him. She felt his body enwrapped in her arms, and the feeling was the best she could had ever experienced. "Thular, you are home!" she said as her tears began to fall. "Jacinth, I missed you." "And I you. Oh," she backed away, so she could see his face before her, this time for real, and as if to make sure it was not a dream, she touched it, "Thular=85" Jacinth closed her eyes and leaned towards him. They kissed, and she smiled when she felt his mustache. "I waited for you all day, but you didn't come=85" she said, still clinging to him. "I know, I am sorry. The business I had with the Ethos took me longer than I had expected=85" he looked down, appearing troubled. Then his face lightened, and he looked back into her blue eyes. "But it doesn't matter. I am home now." Jacinth looked into his eyes, and embraced him once more. She felt so secure and safe now that he had returned. She didn't like spending time away from, even if it were just for a day or two. It didn't matter now, though; he was home, and she reveled in the reassuring aura of his presence. During the night, well after midnight it was, she suddenly awoke, realizing that Thular was not there in the bed with her. She sat up in the darkness, then fumbled on the night table to turn the lantern on. She noticed that the sheets were pulled away and the door was open. She took the lantern got out of bed. In her nightgown and with her long hair tied into a loose bun, she left the room and went into the small hallway just outside. She suddenly heard a strange noise. It was loud, coming from outside, yet she was unsure of what she heard. She got the feeling that something was wrong. Filled with a growing fear, she hesitated, yet she continued on. She passed by her husband's gun closet, which was left wide open. Investigating further, she saw that the large shotgun he kept was missing. At that very moment she jumped at the sound of its firing, and growing extremely frightened for her husband, she dashed through the kitchen, right through the open door. Outside, she frantically looked around for Thular. In the darkness of the night she could hardly see, save for the moon reflecting on the surface of the sea. She was afraid to call out for him. She desperately whispered his name under her breath, wanting to scream out his name. Then she caught sight of him in his white robe coming out of the dark forest a few yards away. He had his shotgun, and he was slowly backing away from the thick growth of trees. She attempted to run to him, but spotting her, he yelled out, "Jacinth! Stay away!" Out of the trees a black, indistinguishable shadow leaped out and landed on Thular. It began clawing at him wildly, and she heard his gun fire again. She gasped, and dropped the lantern, which shattered on the ground, putting out the light. She was completely scared. She had no idea what to do. She could see in the very little light the small sliver of a moon offered that the screaming and roaring creature was clawing at her husband, who tried fighting back with his gun. She began running towards them. Neither saw her approaching, but continued in their struggle. When she came close enough to see who the attacker was, she almost let out a scream of pure fright. She was horrified to see a Wel on top of Thular, it's long bloody claws trying to tear the flesh from his body. She gazed at it, utterly entranced and completely disgusted. It's deformed, rotting limbs continuously tried to cut and tear into Thular's body, wildly searching for the blood inside of him. Thular kept it off him with his shotgun, but the heaving monster would not give up. Jacinth was frozen in fear. She watched as the Wel's misshapen head bit into the gun, then broke it, and Thular was momentarily defenseless. It was enough time for the monster to reach his flesh and tear it open. Thular screamed in pain as the Wel slashed at his chest, staining his white robe with his blood. The monster then proceeded to silence him, cleanly slicing his throat in one quick swipe of his terrible claw. Jacinth screamed uncontrollably. Her eyes instantly flooded with tears that gushed forth. She tripped on her own feet as she backed away and fell. The monster was now devouring his blood, unaware of anything around it but the sweet taste of her husband's leaking life. She was hysterical. She ran towards the beach, towards the water, not knowing exactly what she was thinking but only letting herself be guided by her desire. She knelt in the water, hardly able to breathe and choked by her tears. She clutched her head in cried out in agony. Either the gentle waves would take her away, or the howling beast would come for her when it was finished with her husband. Then she felt something come alive within her. A courage she had never had built up inside of her. No, she would not let this monster get away with its murderous crime. She clenched her fists tightly. This monster will not harm anyone else again. She stood up in crashing waves that hit the beach harder as her anger built. This monster will be punished for it's evil. She closed her wet eyes and concentrated deeply. She remembered all that he had taught her about controlling her ether powers. She remembered what Thular had said about channeling together as much ether energy she could, if she ever needed to defend herself. She was never good at it, and it had always been difficult and draining, but now she felt the energy rise hotly within her body. She concentrated on the image of her beloved, his sweet smile, his gentle eyes, the warm feeling of his kiss. She cried as the energy rose higher, and the waves were crashing wildly. The water boiled all around her, and a glowing blue energy began to emanate from her. The Wel looked up momentarily from its supper to see the vulnerable Jacinth standing in the shallows of the beach. Craving her hot blood, it left Thular and began running on all fours towards her. The water around her boiled hotter, until it seemed to evaporate into the blue energy around her, building together into a single point where she concentrated not only all of her anger, but all of the love she had for the man the creature had killed. She didn't know the Wel was approaching, drooling with the anticipation of young, warm blood soon to be tasted. Jacinth's energy was now getting to the point where she could no longer contain it, and it glowed in bright blue light before her. She then opened her eyes quickly, and spotting the Wel rushing near her, she fearlessly screamed and let loose the built energy ball of her anger at the unsuspecting creature. The Wel stopped shortly before the watery blast, with stunning alacrity and power, shot and tore through it's body, rending it's rotten flesh into bloody pieces. Jacinth, her eyes wide open, strained for breath. Her body was hunched over, and she couldn't feel her body. Her hair was loose and her nightgown was torn. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed on the beach. The waves gently pushed at her long cerulean hair, and the ocean was calm and tranquil once again. Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: id x Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2000 00:09:07 -0500 Subject: [DeM] Mirroring of Shadows ((It's darn late, but I finally got around to writing Cel's intro. Let me know what you think.)) Mirroring of Shadows -------------------------------- August 17th, V-498 Celius's Home, Solaris -------------------------------- Nothing seemed out of place. Nothing seemed to give off a feeling of the misfortune to come. The stars were not writing their odd language and letting its flow pour over the mind and body of Celius Milistrae on this cold eve. Atop his small hut of a house in Solaris, his legs were crossed and his mind was locked in meditation. A twinkle on his eyelid caught his attention. His eyes opened quickly to easily avoid the flying knife. Stepping up, he attached his wrist-blade and took up a defensive position. Another knife flew by his face, this one almost grazing his cheek. Dropping, he rolled to the edge of the roof and jumped down, about two feet from the door. He rushed inside, but could not see, for the oppressive darkness pulsed around his head and forced him to the ground. A hand slammed into his face, bringing him to attention. He knew another was coming, and threw up a block. Luck was on his side. Activating his wrist-blade, the face of his assailant was lluminated. He recognized it. "Bad timing..." stated Cel, coldly. "You have to be ready for all situations," the voice chimed back. "The only difference is that a good assassin wouldn't have toyed around, Ilin." Cel's voice was tinted with laughter. "You dodged the first. Now you know when to run." His face disappeared into the darkness. The lights flipped on a moment later. Ilin was wearing blue gi pants and a loose shirt. "I still don't see how you can be so agile in those boots." "Training, adaptation, application. What you taught me the first day." Ilin chuckled lightly, then walked into another room. "Get some rest. We train early tomorrow. Sparring, if you're up for it." "You know I am." Cel made his way to his quarters, on the upper floor, and plopped his fatigued body into bed. It had been a long day. * * * Cel's dreams were, as they had been a lot recently, quite unsettling. He dreamed of wires. He dreamed of death. He dreamed of slicing fingers off of innocent civilians who he had never seen. These were the kinds of dreams he would wake up from in a pool of sweat. And for some reason, his armor always seemed a little bit shinier at these points than it should. Tonight's dream was particularly disturbing. It started with a view of a large house, which looked more suited to -Lambs- than the Solarians. He waltzed inside and into a room. He drew a sword, or so he thought, but it ended up being a banana. The man on the bed stared up at him with glazed eyes, and Cel did not hesitate to spring at him and slice his throat. 'With a banana?' Cel thought, subconsciously. Even weirder was the blood, in which case was white feathers. He stared the man in the eye, rolled over, gave the wife a kiss on the cheek, covered her mouth, and rammed a clock-hand through her chest. Rolling off the bed, he hopped out the window and fell into a metal cage. The top slammed shut above his head. He looked back and into a room lined with green metal walls. He turned to face a door of nearly the same color. Two strong hands held his arms behind his back, and as he tried to flip, he was let go of and consequently spun too far, onto his back, and landed on a cool glass table. Eyes peered at him from all sides. The world closed in around the circular object placed on his head. Sharp ringing in his ears caused them to burst and let the blood flow freely. His hands seemed to disconnect from his arms, which seemed to disconnect from his shoulders, and so on throughout his body. a piercing pain ran through his stomach, and he woke up, once again covered in sweat. Two shadows, mirroring each other, stood on the sides of Cel. He realized quickly that they weren't his. He tried to hop up, but was restrained by most likely some Ether-based force. "Is it time?" "Not yet..." "Why do we wait?" "We wait for the sign..." "What sign?" "Only the Master will know." "Why is he doing this?" "He doesn't want it to happen again." "Why me?" "Because you need it." "Hey! He's coming to! Let's go!" "At least we got some decent observation. See ya around, amigo." With that, the shadows dematerialized. Cel couldn't remember a thing they said, even though he thought he was fully awake. Oh well, he'd find out sometime. He fell back onto his pillow, sleeping the rest of the night without dreams. * * * The punch came quick, but not so quick that it could not be handled. As it flew to the side, a kick come up into Cel's chest, which he narrowly avoided by flipping over. Tucking into a roll, two shadows in the corner of the dojo caught Cel's eye. They mirrored each other, and were not his nor Ilin's, but were distinctly different. He didn't have time to think. As a foot came down, he popped up into a kick, which was easily caught by Ilin. It was much too sloppy. A rush in his groin brought the ground up to his face. Cel awoke an indeterminable amount of time later, the pain in his crotch still only slightly eased. He remembered only the sloppiness of his kick. He deserved this. A note was scribed on white parchment and placed on his right. It was from Ilin. 'Cel - Went for a walk. Be back in a few hours.' 'Oh great,' thought Cel, 'another lame day.' Precisedly two hours, thirty-four minutes, and sixteen seconds later, Ilin walked in the door. He said nothing, only motioned for Cel to follow him into the dojo. Cel followed. 'Uh..... This seems too awkward. Better keep my guard up. Too many weird things have happened lately.' He wondered for a minute what those weird things were. He couldn't remember, he just knew things had happened. He remained alert. As he made his way to the dojo, through the adjacent narrow hallway, sword after sword flew out of the wall behind him and a door of bars slid to the ground in front of him. Both were unable to be penetrated. Ilin looked around, a very distinct fear in his eyes. "CEL! LOOK AWAY!" He screamed. Cel averted his eyes as total blackness engulfed the room in front of him. He heard slashing and screaming, and felt a spray of blood across his face and neck. Then it was light again. He looked forward to see a slashed and heavily injured Ilin. The gates were no longer in front of or behind him. He ran to Ilin, knelt, grabbed his shoulders, and gently shook him. Nothing. His heart was beating, he was breathing. Fair enough. This wasn't the time for revenge. His master, his teacher, his 'father', needed help. "Don't worry, Ilin. I won't let you die." From the darkness of a corner, two shadows, mirroring each other, looked on. A smile spread across their faces. -------------------------------------------- The Chronicle of Cel, Part 1 by id x Summary: Introduction to the character Celius Milistrae (Cel). He has a rude disturbance during meditation, leading to a disturbing dream. He wakes to find two shadows conversing, but does not remember anything. He spars with his Master, Ilin, who later is brutally assaulted. He vows to not let him die. ____________________ Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Dan Clark Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 13:55:05 -0800 (PST) Subject: [DeM] A Visit (Adin, Myaru) OOG: Ok everyone. Amber, after about a month, still hasn't sent me back the rough draft of this post let alone respond at all. I'm not upset, but you could say I'm worried! Amber, if you read this, PLEASE respond to me so I know your still alive ^^;. Also, the list has once again died off the face of this earth and hopefully this post will start it up again. I dread to think that I am the one who's been holding it up by not posting and if I was I deeply appologize to all of you, so now, with this post out of the way, Adin can move into Bledavick and the story can go on as planned. I hope you all enjoy this post as much as I do. A Visit By Dan Clark (Adin, Myaru) ------------------ Gebler Desert Base August 23, v-498 5:37pm ------------------ Adin sat apathetically at his desk. His face leaned in his palm and his free hand was idley trying to balance a pencil on it's eraser end - so far to no avail. Suddenly there was a beep on the captains monitor and Adin jumped, the pencil clattering to the mettalic desk. The bright face of his secretary appeared in a small window. "Captain Senka, there's a visitor here to see you, a miss..." Adin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and stifling a yawn. "Tell her I'm in a meeting now, Aya." Adin was just about to go back to his idle games when the door to his office slid open with a hiss and a tall, indigo-haired woman stepped in. She adorned an extremely high ranking Solarian uniform. "Captain Adin Senka?" said the woman, now standing at the other side of his desk. "Er...yes I'm Captain Senka. What might your name be?" The woman sat down and crossed her legs, the look on her face remaining a stern stare. "I have come from the Holy Empire of Solaris in need of a favor, Captain Senka." The uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, "I need escort to Bledavick and I am aware of your trip there tommorow." Adin was aware that this wasn't really a question to escort her but an order. He cleared his throat and sat of straight. "Well I dont think that will be a problem, miss...." "Myaru" the woman said flatly. Adin smiled politely. "Miss Myaru, yes. I'll have some of my servants show you to your quarters for the night. May I ask what reason you'll be coming to the capital with me?" "My reasons aren't of concern to you Captain. All I ask is escort and then your business with me will be over. Understood?" Adin was set aback by the suddenness of her response, but he kept his composure for the commanding officer. Besides, not only was Myaru his superior, but she had joined the ranks of his guest along with Aloysius, and it wouldn't do well at all to have any one of the two upset with him. "I understand Myaru. Perhaps you'd like to have dinner with me tonight? I'm sure the chefs have something wonderful lined up tonight." The woman was not at all impressed with this obvious come on by Adin, and showed her dissaproval quickly. "Captain Senka...I am here for business alone, not pleaure. And it most certainly wouldn't be any pleasure at all to have dinner with you." Adin was about to appologize when he noticed something dazzling about her eyes. Was it just him, or did her eyes suddenly become brighter. They seemed to flash at him, and even the whole room seemed to flash along with it, the very same blue. Adin wasn't sure of what had just happened and he was dazed to say the least. Myaru stood and went for the door. "I expect an early departure tommorow, Captain?" she said, turning slightly. Adin stood and walked, with some difficulty, to show her out. "Uh...yes. An early departure...yes." Myaru's lips edged upwardes and her stern face glinted with a faint smile, a knowing smile. She turned and left the office. Still in a slight stupor, Adin turned to his desk again. There, on his desk, was his pencil. It stood straight up in the air...on it's eraser. Adin blinked and it clattered back to the desk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OOG: Whew! Finally got that post in. Atleast the month+ that it took to finally get it posted gave me enough time to better my writing skills, this draft is a little better than the first. Oh well, my next post should be that of Adin traveling to Bledavick. So anyone wanting to work with me on that end can e-mail me or IM me on the screen name "JuggaloDazz". Thanks. Jya na! ------------------- A Visit By Dan Clark ------------------- -=Dan=- _______________________________________________ "Hans! Look alive, take the helm. We'll show them how real men of the sea retreat!" -Thames Captain Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: in_my_tree@hotmail.com Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 10:19:03 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Intro to Tristan! Hurray finally! "Welcome, Descar. Have you any information for me?" "No sir, as yet, the border is still a closely guarded secret." "Perhaps for the likes of us. Those with the power to rule men, they seem to come and go as they please. We are powerless next to them." "Sir, we are hardly powerless, the people, they fear you=85 when they see you come out, they are willing to sacrifice anything to gain your favor." "When I come out=85" He muttered quietly, "they only do so out of fear." Descar was a young man still, he knew nothing of the difference between respect through fear, and respect though power. Tristan was older and more experienced in the ways of the world. He had had enough with fear; fear caused them to turn on you, eventually. "Do you fear me Descar?" Of course he did, Descar wasn't a fool. It's hard not to fear one who would destroy you so easily, if you were with him at the wrong time, if you crossed him when he was thinking about his family, sometimes he would just snap. His brain was old, and his mind was old as well, it had become thin and brittle like a little stick, it was easy to break him. Kindling really, thought Descar, he's like kindling. You have to be so careful not to break it, so careful with the sparks, or it all goes up at once. "DON'T YOU FEAR ME?" Tristan screamed, and then trailed off, "I'm so sick of fear. I want to hear their soft voices again. I want to be loved=85 as before=85so long ago=85long ago." "No, I do not fear you. I respect you." Descar lied, " I respect your power, and your cunning." "How can an old madman be cunning? I'm so tired Descar, tired of cunning and planning and plotting. The time has come Descar; I will go out tonight and find my own information. I will use their fear to gain what I want." Tristan then rose from his seat. It was dark in the room; the shades were drawn against the light of the day, casting shadow over the walls. The shadows hid Tristan, and he studied the patterns of light and dark on his skin the shade caused. He watched them slide off his skin as he stepped into the light. His skin seemed to glow for a second, as it's pale blue reflected white light, just for a moment. It made him look like an angel, but just for an instant. Tristan turned to face Descar, who had slunk back into the shadows, and his face shattered the angelic illusion. His black eyes glowed in the gloom, lit from within with their own fire, a spark of pain and cunning. He closed his dark eyes and looked down at the floor, an expression of peace coming over his features, like someone in prayer. "But first I must feed, the pain grows greater by the moment." He whispered, softly speaking, as if only to himself. Slowly, he drew his cloak together, and then he stepped outside the door, into the bright afternoon sunlight and onto the street. Descar held back, in the patterned shadows of the room. He said a small prayer for the victim, whomever they might be; probably a bandit, hopefully not a child. Descar took a deep breath and closed his eyes to steady himself, then he too, left the dark room. He walked out the door and glanced back at the little shack he had just exited. The odor of death seemed to surround it, just like it surrounded the man who lived in the shack. Finally Descar too, stepped onto the busy street, the odor fading from his clothes as he mixed with the people around him. Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~END ARCHIVE 51~~